Conveyor belt system

ABSTRACT

A conveyor belt is made up of plastic links that are capable of traversing a radiused or curved path. The links are provided with a cover member, such as a plate. Articles to be conveyed are put on top of the plates. The links are interconnected together so as to reduce the exposure of gaps between the links. Each link has a slot on the ends, with the slot receiving a guiderail or track. Each slot has a convex inside surface which contacts the guiderail. The belt is supported by side frames, which side frames have lips that form the tracks. Each side frame has an upper lip and a lower lip. Thus, the side frames can support and guide both an upper portion of the conveyor belt as well as a lower portion of the conveyor belt in a self contained assembly. The side frames are coupled together by cross beams to provide the support, as well as provide a path of the tracks. The side frames are coupled to vertical supports.

The present application is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No.09/525,775, filed Mar. 14, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,048, which inturn claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No.60/125,600, filed Mar. 19, 1999.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to conveyor belts that are used to carryobjects or articles from one location to another.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Plastic conveyor belts are well known in the art. For example, Palmaer,U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,907 described a plastic conveyor belt.

Designing a conveyor belt to go straight is difficult. Designing aconveyor belt to turn or go up and down an incline is even moredifficult.

The conveyor belt of the '907 patent is able to traverse curves. Theindividual belt links can move closer to or away from adjacent links.This property is useful for traversing curves, wherein at the inside ofthe curve, the belt links are close together, and at the outside of thecurve, the belt links are spread apart. The belt has gaps between thelinks for traversing curves. The gaps also allow air to circulatethrough the belt, an advantage when the belt conveys foods.

Adapting the belt to other applications presents some problems. In thepackage handling and baggage industries, the objects being conveyed aresubject to being caught in the gaps between the links. For example,baggage has straps, hooks, wheels, handles, etc. which can become easilycaptured between two links. Packages may be flimsy envelopes, which canalso become caught. A bag or package that becomes caught by the conveyorbelt risks damage to itself and to the conveyor belt.

Another problem is speed. Packages and baggage are most desirablyconveyed at high speeds, such as 300 feet per minute. This is incontrast with the much lower speed of the food handling industry (forexample, 50 feet per minute). Higher speeds produce greater forcesexerted on the belt. In addition, the links produce a loud andundesirable chatter at high speeds.

The loading on conveyor belts used in the package industry is muchgreater than those encountered in the food industry. The loading in thefood handling industry is 10-13 pounds per linear foot, while it is 50pounds per linear foot in the package industry (for a 36″ wide belt).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a conveyor belt thatcan be used in the baggage or package industry without the problemsdiscussed above.

The present invention provides a link for a plastic conveyor belt. Thebelt is constructed of links interconnected by pivot rods in a sequenceof hinged links for conveying articles along a path, which path mayinclude a curved portion. The link includes a rib, a first set ofprojections and a second set of projections. The first set ofprojections extends from the rib in a first direction. The individualprojections of the first set are separated from each other by respectivefirst gaps. The projections of the first set each have an openingtherethrough. The openings in the first set of projections are alignedso as to receive a first pintle. The second set of projections extendsfrom the rib in a direction that is opposite of the first direction. Theindividual projections of the second set are separated from each otherby respective second gaps. The projections of the second set arestaggered with respect to the projections of the first set. Theprojections of the second set each having a slotted openingtherethrough. Each of the slotted openings extend for a portion of thelength of the respective projection of the second set. The openings inthe second set of projections are aligned so as to receive a secondpintle. The rib, the first set of projections and the second set ofprojections collectively have a first side and a second side. Theprojections of the first and second sets each have a length. A covermember is located on the first side. The cover member overlies a portionof the lengths of the projections of the first and seconds sets so aspartially cover the first and second gaps.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the rib hasends, with the first set of projections having first endmost projectionslocated at the ends of the rib and the second set of projections havingsecond endmost projections located at the ends of the rib. The covermembers couple to the first and second endmost projections.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the covermember extends from the rib along the lengths of the projections of thefirst and second sets a distance that is:

distance≧length of the projections of respective set−(A+B+C)

where A=the distance between the end of a projection in the first setand the opening in the projection

B=the distance between the end of a projection in the second set and theopening in the projection

C=the diameter of the pivot rod.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, thelink has a stepped first side, with a step being formed between thefirst set of projections and the cover member and another step beingformed between the second set of projections and the cover member.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, thecover member has a carrying surface facing away from the rib. Thecarrying surface has a groove therein.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, thelink has two ends with the cover member extending between the ends. Thecover member has beveled portions at each of the ends to accommodate thecurved path.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the link hastwo ends, with each end having a slot therein. The slot is parallel tothe first and second sets of projections. The slot being structured andarranged to receive a guide rail.

In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, the slot hasan inside surface that is structured and arranged to contact the guiderail. The inside surface is arcuate so as to be convex.

In still another aspect of the present invention, each of the link endshas outside end surfaces with the slot in each end being between theoutside end surfaces. The outside end surfaces are each arcuate so as tobe convex.

The present invention also provides a link for a plastic conveyor belt,the belt being constructed of links interconnected by pivot rods into asequence of hinged links for conveying articles along a path which pathmay include a curved path. The link includes a rib, a first set ofprojections and a second set of projections. The first set ofprojections extends from the rib in a first direction. The individualprojections of the first set are separated from each other by respectivefirst gaps. The projections of the first set each having an openingtherethrough. The openings in the first set of projections being alignedso as to receive a first pivot rod. The second set of projectionsextends from the rib in a direction that is opposite of the firstdirection. The individual projections of the second set are separatedfrom each other by respective second gaps. The projections of the secondset are staggered with respect to the projections of the first set. Theprojections of the second set each have a slotted opening therethrough.Each of the slotted openings extends for a portion of the length of therespective projection of the second set. The openings in the second setof projections being aligned so as to receive a second pivot rod. Thelink has two ends, with the rib extending between the ends. A slot isformed in each end of the link. Each slot is formed by a pair of wallsextending from an endmost projection in either the first or second setsof projections. The endmost projections are at respective ends of therib.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, each of the slotshas an inside surface that is structured and arranged to contact a guiderail. The inside surface is arcuate so as to be convex.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, eachof the walls that extend from the endmost projection to form the slothas an outside end surface. The outside end surfaces are arcuate so asto be convex.

The present invention also provides a conveyor belt system for carryingarticles along a path which path may include a curved path. First andsecond conveyor belts are located side by side adjacent to each other.The first and second conveyor belts are guided along respective paths bytracks. Each of the first and second conveyor belts includes a pluralityof links, with each of the links comprising a rib, a first set ofprojections and a second set of projections. The first set ofprojections extends from the rib in a first direction. The individualprojections of the first set being separated from each other byrespective first gaps. The projections of the first set each having anopening therethrough. The openings of the first set of projections arealigned so as to receive a first pivot rod. The second set ofprojections extends from the rib in a direction that is opposite of thefirst direction. The individual projections of the second set areseparated from each other by respective second gaps. The projections ofthe second set are staggered with respect to the projections of thefirst set. The projections of the second set each having a slottedopening therethrough. Each of the slotted openings extends for a portionof the link of the respective projection of the second set. The openingsof the second set of projections being aligned so as to receive a secondpivot rod. The link has two ends with the rib extending between theends. A slot is formed in each of the link. Each slot is formed by apair of walls extending from an endmost projection in either the firstor second sets of projections. The endmost projections being at therespective ends of the rib. The end slots receive the tracks, therebeing a center guide serving as a center track between the first andsecond conveyor belts. The center guide has first and second lipsextending in opposite directions from each other. The first and secondlips are coupled to mounting structure by a web. The first and secondlips are received in end slots of the links in the first and secondconveyor belts.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the firstand second lips comprise metal with plastic being interposed between thefirst and second lips on the conveyor belt links.

The present invention also provides a conveyor belt system for carryingarticles along a path. There is a plurality of plastic links, with eachlink having a rib, a first set of projections and a second set ofprojections. The first set of projections extends from the rib in afirst direction. The individual projections of the first set beingseparated from each other by respective first gaps. The projections ofthe first set each having an opening therethrough. The openings of thefirst set of projections are aligned so as to receive a first pivot rod.The second set of projections extends from the rib in a direction thatis opposite of the first direction. The individual projections of thesecond set are separated from each other by respective second gaps. Theprojections of the second set are staggered with respect to theprojections of the first set. The projections of the second set eachhaving a slotted opening therethrough. The slotted opening extends for aportion of the length of the projection of the second set. The openingsof the second set of projections being aligned so as to receive a secondpivot rod. The links being coupled together with the pivot rods suchthat the first set of projections are received by the second gaps andthe second set of projections are received by the first gaps. Each ofthe links having two ends with each of the ends having a slot therein.The slot is parallel to the first and second sets of projections. Thereare two side frames that are spaced apart from each other. Each sideframe has first and second lips. The first and second lips extend in aninside direction and are separated from each other by one or more crossmembers that couple the side frames together. The conveyor belt has anupper portion and a lower portion, with the slots of the belt links inthe upper portion of the conveyor belt receiving the first lips and theslots of the belt links in the lower portion of the conveyor beltreceiving the second lips.

The side frames and cross members form a self-contained support assemblyfor the conveyor belt.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the sideframes have outside surfaces which outside surfaces engage verticalsupports.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a conveyor belt system, incorporatingthe conveyor belt of the present invention, in accordance a preferredembodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic elevational view of the conveyor belt system,taken at lines II—II of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a link of the conveyor belt.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a link, in accordance with anotherembodiment.

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the links of FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 6 is a detailed top plan view showing an end of the link of FIG. 4with hidden lines showing the bottom structure.

FIG. 7 is a detailed side view of the link of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an end view of the link taken along lines VIII—VIII of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional end view of the link, taken through linesIX—IX of FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 is an end view of a link, in accordance with still anotherembodiment.

FIG. 11 is a top plan view showing a portion of a conveyor beltconfigured in a turn.

FIG. 12 is a bottom plan view of the conveyor belt portion of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the conveyor beltsupport subassembly, shown configured to receive two side-by-sideconveyor belts.

FIG. 14 is a plan view of a portion of the conveyor belt supportsubassembly of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a transverse cross-sectional view of a side frame.

FIG. 16 is a transverse cross-sectional view of a cross member.

FIG. 17 is a transverse cross-sectional view of a center guide.

FIG. 18 is a transverse cross-sectional view of an intermediate guide.

FIG. 19 is a transverse cross-sectional view of two side-by-sideconveyor belts and a full support system.

FIG. 20 is a transverse cross-sectional view of a leg support.

FIG. 21 is an elevational view of an adjustable foot assembly.

FIG. 22 is a top view of the foot.

FIG. 23 is a transverse cross-sectional view of trim or guard panels.

FIG. 24 is a top plan view of a turnaround subassembly.

FIG. 25 is a side elevational view of the turnaround subassembly of FIG.24.

FIG. 26 is an end view of the turnaround subassembly of FIG. 24.

FIG. 27 is an isometric exploded view of a side plate of the turnaroundassembly.

FIG. 28 is an isometric exploded view of a center plate of theturnaround assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a conveyor belt system 11. The systemis used to convey objects, such as packages 12A or baggage 12B, from onelocation to another. The system 11 has a conveyor belt 13, guides ortracks 15, and a drive mechanism 17.

The conveyor belt 13 can have straight sections 19, radiused or curvedsections 21 and inclined or declined sections 23. Straight sections 19involve the belt traveling in a uniform direction. Radiused sections 21involve the belt turning from one direction to another. Inclined ordeclined sections 23 involve a change in elevation of the belt.

The guides 15 control the path of the belt. The guides 15 include side(or end) guides and bearing (or intermediate) guides. The guides 15contact the belt to steer and support the belt. The guides will bedescribed in more detail below.

The conveyor belt 13 is endless and thus travels in a continuous loop.In the system 11 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, there are returns orturnarounds 231 at locations A and B of the system. At location B, thetop belt portion rounds the return to go underneath. At location A, theunderneath belt portion rounds the return to go on top. The top belttravels from location A to location B, while the bottom belt travelsfrom location B to location A.

The drive mechanism 17 includes a motor driven sprocket that engages theconveyor belt. The speed of belt travel can vary between 10-300 linearfeet per minute. The drive mechanism 17 can move the conveyor belt ineither direction.

The conveyor belt 13 is made up of a plurality of links 25 or modulesthat are coupled together. Referring to FIGS. 3, 5 and 7, each link 25has a central, straight rib 27 that extends between the ends 29 of thelink. (In the preferred embodiment, the ends 29 have a slot 67 therein;therefore, the rib 27 does not extend all the way to the ends 29.) Therib 27 has a forward or leading side 31 and a rearward or trailing side33. Projections 35 extend out from the rib 27. Adjacent projections 35are separated from each other by a gap 37. Each projection has a freeend 39.

There is a first set of projections 35A that extends transversely fromthe leading side 31 of the rib 27. A second set of projections 35Bextends transversely from the trailing side 33 of the rib 27. (In thedescription that follows, “leading” and “trailing” are used to provide aframe of reference to describe the links. However, the links can bedriven in either direction.)

The second set of projections 35B are offset or staggered from the firstset of projections 35A. Thus, the projections of one set are centeredwith the gaps 37 of the other set. This offset allows the projections ofone link to fit interdigitally with the projections of the adjacentlink, as shown in FIG. 12 while the ends 39 remain aligned. (In FIG. 12,the ends 39 are aligned along an arc or curve; when the links 25 are ona straight section 19, the ends 39 are aligned along a straight line.)

Each of the projections of the first set 35A has a cylindrical opening40 therethrough (see FIGS. 8 and 9). Each of the projections of thesecond set 35B has a slot 41 therethrough. The openings 40 are orientedwith respect to each other so as to receive a pintle 43, or pivot pin,that is generally parallel to the rib 27 (see FIG. 12). Likewise, theslots 41 are oriented with respect to each other so as to receive asecond pintle 43 that is generally parallel to the rib 27.

The projections 35 are generally coplanar with each other as shown bythe end view of FIG. 8. The link 25 has leading and trailing sides thatcorrespond to the ends 39 of the projections 35. The leading sidecorresponds to the ends 45 (see FIGS. 5 and 8) of the first set 35A ofprojections, while the trailing side corresponds to the ends 47 of thesecond set 35B of projections. As shown in FIG. 9 the ends 45, 47 of theprojections are rounded.

For purposes of this description, the link also has top and bottom sides48, 49 (top and bottom are used with reference to FIGS. 7 and 9, andalso to the orientation of a link when in the top belt portion of theconveyor belt transversing from location A to location B of FIG. 1). Acover member 51 covers a portion of the top side 48 of each link, whilethe bottom side 49 is uncovered. Thus, the gaps 37 between theprojections 35 are partially covered from the top side 48 by the covermember 51, while being uncovered from the bottom side 49. In thepreferred embodiment, the cover member 51 is a plate. The plate 51extends from the rib 27 toward the ends 45 of the first set 35A ofprojections. Likewise, the plate 51 extends from the rib 27 toward theends 47 of the second set 35B of projections. The plate 51 extends tothe mid-length of the projections 35, thus leaving the end portions ofthe projections uncovered. This allows the links 25 to traverse aradiused section, as will be described more fully below. The ends 53 ofthe plate extend to the ends 29 of the link (see FIG. 6). Morespecifically, the plate extends a distance from the rib 27 that is:

distance≧length of the projections−(A+B+C)

where A=the distance between the end of the opening 40 and the end ofthe projection 35A (see FIG. 8)

B=the distance between the end of the slot 41 and the end of theprojection 35B

C the diameter of the pintle 43.

Thus, the plate 51 of a particular link extends over the ends 39 of theprojections of the adjacent and interlocked link. As shown in FIG. 11(especially on the right side where the links are pulled apart) the gaps37 between the projections 35 are covered by the plate 51 and filled bythe projections from the adjacent link. (Note that FIG. 12 shows thebottom side of the belt. The plate 51 covers the top side, shown in FIG.11.) As shown in FIG. 9, the ends 39 of the projections are rounded. Therounded ends 39 allow the plate edge 57 to overlap slightly the ends ofthe projections of the adjacent link. Thus, the distance given above forthe plate extension can be slightly greater than the length of theprojections (A+B+C).

The corners 55 and the edges 57 (see FIGS. 3, 6, and 8) of the plate 51are rounded to eliminate any sharp corners and edges that may snag onthe articles that are being conveyed. The leading edge of the plate 51is tapered 59 (see FIGS. 3, 6 and 8) near the corners. This taperingassists the link 25 in traversing a radiused section 21 on the conveyorbelt system 11. The trailing edge of the plate 51 can be tapered.

The plate 51 has a groove 61 (see FIG. 3) in its top surface, whichgroove extends between the plate ends 53. Holes 63 can be formed alongthe bottom of the groove. The groove is filled with an elastomericmaterial such as rubber 65. The top surface of the elastomeric material65 extends above the top surface of the plate 51. The elastomericmaterial provides friction to prevent objects from sliding on theplates. This is especially useful for inclined sections 23 (see FIGS. 1and 2) on the conveyor belt system 11. The elastomeric material extendsinto the holes, which holes serve to retain the elastomeric material inthe groove. The holes 63 are optional.

As an alternative embodiment, the link can have a plate without a topgroove 61 therein (see FIGS. 4 and 11). A belt 13 can have theelastomeric material 65 and groove 61 on every second, third or fourthlink.

The length of the projections in the first set is substantially the sameas the length of the projections in the second set.

Referring to FIG. 6, each projection 35 is made up of a relatively thinweb 85 that is coupled to the rib 27 and an enlarged end portion 87located at the end of the web 85. Thus, the gap 37 between any twoprojections has a narrow part (between the enlarged end portions 87 ofthe projections) and a broad part (between the narrow webs 85). Thistapered gap configuration assists the links 25 in forming an angle witheach other (as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12) in order to traverse a radiusedor curved section 21.

Referring to FIGS. 5, 6 and 9, each projection 35 has a lip 89 thatextends from the enlarged end portion 87 to the plate. The lip 89provides for a wider top side 48 of the projection 35 relative to thebottom side 49. Thus, the tapered projections, together with the plate,minimize the exposure of the gaps when the conveyor belt is viewed fromthe top side (see FIG. 11). By minimizing the exposure of the gaps, thelikelihood that an article (such as a package or baggage) will be caughtin the belt will be minimized. There are some small spaces between theprojections, as illustrated in FIG. 11. This is to allow for ease inmoving the one link with respect to an adjacent link.

At each end of the rib 27 is an endmost projection 35E (see FIG. 3). Theendmost projections 35E are wider than the other projections 35 due tothe provision of a slot 67. The ends 29 of the link 25 are located onthe endmost projections 35E. The ends 29 are curved or radiused in aconvex arrangement (see FIGS. 3, 5 and 6), wherein the center of therespective end 29 bulges outwardly more than the corners of the end.This outward curvature on the link ends enables the link to bettertraverse a radiused section 21 (see FIG. 1) of the conveyor belt system.The ends 53 of the plate 51 need not be curved and can be flat as shownin FIGS. 3 and 4. Alternatively, the ends 53 of the plate can be curved.

In addition, each of the endmost projections 35E of the link 25 has aslot 67 therein, which slot is open to the end 29 and to the leading andtrailing sides 31, 33. The slot 67 extends generally parallel to theprojections 35 (see FIGS. 6-8). The slot 67 is formed by upper and lowerend portions or walls 69, 71. The slot has top and bottom surfaces 73,75 which are flat and smooth. The slot 67 engages the guides 15 alongthe sides of the conveyor belt 13 (see FIG. 1). The slot also has aninside surface 77 which traverses between the top and bottom surfaces.This inside surface 77 is smooth, but is radiused in a convexarrangement so as to bow outward in the middle. The curvature of theinside surface 77 need not be the same as the curvature of the end 29.In the preferred embodiment, the curvature of the inside surface 77 isgreater than the curvature of the end 29. The curvature of the insidesurface 77 serves to reduce noise, such as chatter, when the links 25move along the guides or tracks.

The upper and lower end portions 69, 71 can be of equal thickness, asshown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The opening 40 is centered within the slot 67.Alternatively, the upper end portion 69 and the lower end portion 71 canbe of unequal thickness, as shown in FIG. 10. The upper end portion 69is of a greater thickness than the lower end portion 71.

Each endmost projection 35E has an opening 40 therethrough, whichopening is aligned with the other openings 40 in the projections 35A soas to receive the pintle 43. The opening 40 communicates with the slot67. At the outermost end of the opening is a shoulder 91 that extendsslightly into the opening (see FIGS. 6 and 8). The shoulder 91 serves toretain the pintle in place; the length of the pintle 43 is less than thedistance between the shoulders in the endmost projections 35E so thatthe ends of the pintle are located between the shoulders.

The plate 51 is coupled to the upper end portion 69 of the slot 67 at68. Thus, the plate 51 serves to strengthen the upper end portion 69 aswell as the endmost projection 35E. In fact, the plate providesstiffening all along the length of the link 25. At the outer ends, thetrailing portion of the plate overlaps the endmost projection of theadjacent trailing link (see FIG. 12).

The links 25 can be of any length, from end 29 to end 29. The links 25can be made up of plural components separated along the rib and/orprojections, and joined into one length by the pintles 43. For example,a link can be made up of a right end section, a middle section, and aleft section or any combination thereof The links are made of moldedplastic; each link has integral projections, rib and plate.

The assembly of the links 25 into a conveyor belt will now be described.The links 25 are all oriented with the plates 51 facing a firstdirection. The first sets of projections 35A of the links likewise allface a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction.Two links are coupled together by inserting the first set 35A ofprojections of one link into the gaps 37 between the second set 35B ofprojections of the other link, so that the openings 40 are aligned withthe slots 41. The pintle 43 is then inserted from one end 29 of a link,through the openings 40 and slots 41 to the other end and secured inplace by the shoulders 91. A number of the links 25 are assembledtogether to form a continuous conveyor belt 13 loop.

When the links are assembled as shown in FIG. 11, a top or carryingsurface is formed. Articles 12A, 12B are loaded on the carrying surface.The carrying surface includes the top surface of the plate 51, as wellas the top surfaces of the projections 35A, 35B. The carrying surface isstepped with steps being formed by the plate edges 57T, 57L. The stepsprovide some contour to the carrying surface so that articles will becarried along with the belt. If the plates are grooved 61, as shown inFIG. 3, the articles are even less likely to slip.

The conveyor belt 13 is mounted to a support subsystem 101, shown inFIGS. 13 and 14. The support subsystem 101 supports the conveyor belt upoff of the floor and provides the guides 15 or tracks for guiding theconveyor belt along a path.

In general, the support subsystem 101 forms a rectangular frame. Theframe is formed by side frame members 103 and cross members 105. Theside frame members 103 extend the length of the support subsystem. Thereis a side frame member 103 along each side of the support subsystem. Thecross members 105 extend transversely across and are coupled to thesupport frame members 103. As shown in FIG. 15, each side frame member103 has first and second shoulders 107 that extend from walls 108, whichwalls are coplanar. The ends of the cross members 105 are receivedbetween the shoulders 107, as shown in FIG. 13.

The side frame members 103 and the cross members 105 are made ofextruded metal. Thus, the transverse cross-sectional shape remains thesame along the length of the members. In addition, the side framemembers 103 can be radiused for the curved sections 21 of the system.

Referring to FIG. 16, which shows a cross-sectional view of a crossmember 105, the cross member has two rectangular blocks 109 coupledtogether by a web 111 so as to form a “C”. Short flanges 113 extend fromthe corners of the blocks. Each block has a circular hole 115 thereinwhich hole extends the length of the cross member 105. The ends of thecross member 105 are coupled to the side frame members 103 by threadedfasteners 117 that extend through the walls 108 of the side framemembers and are received by the openings 115 of the cross members (seeFIG. 13).

Referring to FIG. 15, each side frame member 103 is symmetrical about acenter line 117. In describing the cross-section of the side framemember, “inside” and “outside” will be used with reference to theorientation shown in FIGS. 13 and 19, wherein “inside” is towards theconveyor belt and “outside” is away from the conveyor belt. The wall 108with the shoulder 107 is an inside wall. An outside wall 119 extendstransversely from the center line 117 a short distance. A wall 121 thatextends parallel to the center line 117 couples the wall 119 to an endof the wall 108. Another wall 123 extends from the other end of the wall108 in a parallel direction to the wall 121. The two walls 119 and 123are coplanar. Still another wall 125 extends from the wall 123 towardthe wall 119. The walls 119, 121, 108, 123 and 125 form a “C” shapedstructure with lips 127. A cavity 128 is formed by the “C” shapedstructure. The cavity 128 and the lips 127 are used to couple the sideframes to vertical supports 175 (see FIG. 19), which will be describedin more detail hereinbelow.

Extending perpendicularly from the wall 123 is another wall 129. A lip131 extends from the free end of the wall 129 inwardly. A plastic wearstrip 133 is placed around the lip 131. The wear strip 133 and the lip131 serve as tracks for guiding the conveyor belt links 25. The wearstrip 133 and the lip 131 are received by the slot 67 in the ends 29 ofthe links 25. The wear strip 133 has upper and lower surfaces 135 thatcontact the top and bottom surfaces 73, 75 (see FIGS. 7 and 8) of theslots 67. The distance between the upper and lower surfaces 135 of thewear strip 133 is less than the distance between the top and bottomsurfaces 73, 75 so as to provide for a somewhat loose fit. The wearstrip has an inside surface 137 that contacts the inside surface 77 (seeFIGS. 7 and 8) of each link. The distance between the wear strip insidesurfaces 137 is greater than the distance between the two insidesurfaces 77 of each link 25 so as to provide for a somewhat loose fit.The links 25 are able to move and/or slide along the lips 131 and wearstrips 135. The wear strips are made of a low friction plastic. The wearstrips are retained on the lips by corresponding shoulders 139 on eachof the lips and shoulders.

With the support subsystem 101, the conveyor belt links 25 are capturedand guided at the ends 29 for the entire path that is traversed by theconveyor belt 13. This allows the conveyor belt to be operated atrelatively high speeds. In addition, maintenance on the conveyor beltsystem is minimized because the belt is not subject to misalignmentproblems.

Returning to the description of the side frame member 103 of FIG. 15,each wall 129 has a channel 141 formed on its outside. The channel 141is used to couple trim or guard panels 209, 211 (see FIG. 19) to theside frame members 103, which will be described in more detailhereinbelow. The wall 142 forming the channel 141 has an outside surfacethat is coplanar with the outside surfaces of the walls 119, 125,wherein a leg support 175 can bear against these outside surfaces (seeFIG. 19).

As discussed, the side frame member 103 is symmetrical about a centerline 117. Thus, there are two lips 131. An upper lip is used to guidethe upper portion of the conveyor belt, which upper portion carries thearticles 12. A lower lip is used to guide the lower portion of theconveyor belt, which lower portion serves as a return for the continuousloop conveyor belt.

The two walls 121 are separated by a gap 143. Small grooves 145 areformed in the edges of the walls 119, 125 across the gap 128 and of thewalls 108 across the gap 143.

FIGS. 13 and 19 illustrate a support subsystem that supports twoconveyor belts 13A, 13B. The two conveyor belts traverse parallel pathsand are located adjacent to each other. The use of two side-by-sideconveyor belts 13A, 13B allows the construction and operation of a widerconveyor system. The two belts are moved at the same speed, thus formingin essence a single conveyor.

The invention locates the guides below the top surface of the conveyorbelts so that articles 12 which are being conveyed can bear on the twobelts simultaneously (see FIG. 19). In addition, the conveyor system isable to convey the articles in a curved path 21 (see FIG. 1). Using two(or more) conveyor belts side-by-side allows the length (between theends 29) of the individual links 25 to remain relatively short. Usingrelatively short links 25 permits the minimizing of forces on the links25 and pintles 43 when the belt traverses a curved section 21.

Although the conveyor belts in FIG. 19 are described as beingside-by-side, the individual links 25 are end 29 to end 29. That is tosay that an end 29 of a link 25 in one conveyor belt is adjacent to anend 29 of a link in the other conveyor belt. The two ends 29 of thelinks in the two conveyor belts are guided by a center guide 151, shownin FIGS. 13, 14, 17 and 19. The center guide 151 forms a rail or trackthat extends the length of the support subsystem 101. Referring to FIG.17, the guide has a block 153 with a cavity 155 therein. Extending fromthe block is a “T” shaped wall structure, having a web 157 and two lips159 extending in opposite directions from each other. A wear strip 161is located around the lips 159. Shoulders 139 retain the wear strip 161on the lips 159.

The center guide 151 is coupled to the cross members 105 by bolts 163.The bolts extend through openings in the respective block 109 of thecross member 105. The bolt heads are located in the cavity, while thenuts are located on the opposite side of the block 109 and are used tosecure the bolts. The nuts can be loosened to allow the center guide 151to be slid into position, after which the nuts are tightened.

There is an upper center guide 151 and a lower center guide 151, asshown in FIG. 13, for the upper and lower portions of the belt. Theupper portion of the belts convey articles 12 and consequently bear theweight of the articles. Intermediate guides 165 are positioned beneaththe belts to provide support (see FIG. 13; FIG. 19 does not showintermediate guides in order to prevent the drawing from becoming toocluttered.) Referring to FIG. 18, each intermediate guide 165 isgenerally block shaped in transverse cross-section. There is a cavity167 for receiving bolt heads, like the cavity 155 of the center guide151. Two oppositely facing lips 169 serve to receive and retain a wearstrip 171. The upper surface 173 of the wear strip is radiused andcontacts the bottom side 49 of the links 25.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the intermediate guides 165 are coupled tothe cross members 105 by bolts and nuts, in a similar manner asdescribed with respect to the center guide 151. Also, as shown in FIG.14, the intermediate guides 165 are preferably installed in anonparallel configuration. Installing the intermediate guides 165 so asto be parallel to each other and to the center guide 151 is acceptable.However, this may result in wear to the underside of the links 25. Tominimize wear on the links, the intermediate guides 165 are installed ina nonparallel arrangement, wherein the distance between the intermediateguides with respect to each other and to the center rail varies alongthe conveyor belt path.

The lower portion of the conveyor belt need not have any intermediateguides.

The center guide 151, intermediate guide 165, and the wear strips 133,161 and 171 are all extruded parts.

When the conveyor belts 13A, 13B (see FIGS. 13 and 19) are installedinto the supports, the tracks formed by lips 131 and the tracks formedby the center guide 151 are received by slots 67 in the ends of thelinks 25. Thus, each conveyor belt extends between a track formed by thelip 131 and a track formed by the center guide 151. The conveyor belts13A, 13B are very close together, in the range of a fraction of an inch.

Of course, the invention can utilize a single conveyor belt instead oftwo conveyor belts. For a single conveyor belt, no center guide 151 isused. The slots in the ends of the links are supported by the lips 131.

The support subsystem 101 supports the conveyor belts off of the floor173. In the preferred embodiment, the conveyor belt system bears on afloor 173 (see FIG. 19) by the use of leg supports 175. However, othertypes of vertical supports besides legs can be used. For example, theconveyor belt system can be suspended from a ceiling or beams.

FIG. 20 shows a transverse cross-sectional view of a leg support 175,which is extruded. There is a central “C” shaped portion 177 flanked bytwo oppositely facing “C” shaped portions 179. The oppositely facing “C”shaped portions 177, 179 share common walls 181. The central “C” shapedportion 177 has a wall 183 that extends between the two common walls181.

The leg supports 175 are coupled to the side frame members 103 anddepend downwardly therefrom, as shown in FIG. 19. The wall 183 of eachleg support 175 abuts against the walls 119, 125 and 142 (see FIG. 15)of the side frame members. Bolts extend through the wall 183 of the legsupport 175 and are received by nuts in the cavities 128 (see FIG. 15)of the side frame member 103.

In FIG. 19, the bottom ends of the leg supports are mounted to anglebracket type of feet 223. Bolts can be driven through the angle brackets223 into the floor 173 to secure the entire system 11. An alternativefoot structure 185 is shown in FIGS. 21 and 22. This foot structure 185has an elongated block 187 that is received by the cavity of the “C”shaped portion 177 (see FIG. 20) of the leg support 175. One end of theblock 187 has a cavity 189 therein for receiving a nut. A bolt couplesthe leg support to the block. The block has a bore 191 extending betweenthe ends. The other end of the support has a bolt 193 extending out ofthe bore. The head 195 of the bolt 193 is received by a cavity 197 inthe underside of a foot bracket 199 or plate. Two nuts 201 on the boltshaft are used to space the block 187 (and the leg support 175) abovethe foot bracket 199 (and the floor). The foot bracket has anotheropening 203 for receiving an anchor, which anchor is the foot bracket tothe floor.

FIG. 19 shows the conveyor belt as it might be used in a setting nearcustomers, such as an airport. Trim panels 209, 211 are provided inorder to limit access to the belts. In FIG. 19, there is a front side205, where people can load/remove articles from the belts, and a backside 207. On the front side 205, the leg supports 175 do not extendabove the conveyor belts. This allows people to easily access the belts.On the back side 207, the leg supports 175 can extend above the conveyorbelts. The taller back side 207 can be used to hide controls, etc.

The trim panels 209, 211 extend parallel with the side frame members103. There are generally two types of trim panels, namely straight andangled 209, 211. The trim panels stack on top of each other, beingcoupled together with a tongue and groove arrangement. For example,referring to FIG. 23, an angled trim panel 211 has a tongue 213 that isreceived by a groove 215 in a straight trim panel 209. Each trim panelhas a beveled lip 217 near the tongue or groove. When two panels areassembled together, a clamp 219 is placed around the oppositely facingbeveled lips 217 in order to secure the trim panels together.

The angled trim panel 211 has a tongue 221 (see FIG. 19) at its freeend. The tongue 221 is received by the channel 141 (see FIG. 15) in theside frame member 103. This secures the angled trim panel 211 on thefront side 205 to the side frame member.

With the conveyor belt system, the conveyor belts are captured in a safeand secure manner. The ends 29 of the belts are captured by the tracks131, 151. Very little space or gap is left exposed. Likewise, theunderneath side of the belt is covered by the trim panels. Furtherstill,the plates and projections fill the gaps between the links. Thus, theconveyor belt system is safe so that it can be used in a public areasuch as an airport; a person will be unable to get a finger or otherappendage stuck in the belts.

The conveyor belts form a continuous loop. Turnarounds are provided,wherein belt lengths 25 move from the upper portion of the belt to thelower portion. FIGS. 24-26 illustrate a turnaround subassembly 231.

Referring to FIGS. 24 and 27, each turnaround subassembly 231 has aframe that is formed by side plates 233. The side plates 233 are coupledtogether by cross members 105. Each side plate 233 has a track 237 onits inside surface, as shown in FIG. 27. The track, which is received bythe slots 67 in the ends 29 of the links 25, forms a curve so as tochange the direction of the belt. The track need not have a wear strip.In the curved portion 237C of the track, the track is thinner than inthe straight portions. This allows the links to traverse a path having arelatively small radius.

A side frame member 103 abuts against the side plate 233 (see FIG. 25)so that the lips 131 of the side frame member are aligned with the track237, to form a continuous track. Because a wear strip is not used on thetrack 237, the thickness of the track 237 at the junction with the sideframe member 103 is the same as the thickness of the wear strip 135.This provides a smooth transition between the wear strip and the track.The side frame member 103 is coupled to the side plate 233 by way of twocross members 105 that are bolted together. The side plate 233 has anarm 241 that extends below the side frame member 103 for a shortdistance.

The turnaround subassembly 231 is supported by leg supports 175 whichare coupled to the side plates 233.

The side plate 233 has an opening 256 (see FIG. 27) for receiving ashaft 245 (see FIG. 24). A number of sprockets 247 are mounted on theshaft 245. The teeth of the sprockets 247 enter the gaps 37 of the links25 and are used to drive the conveyor belts. A motor 249 rotates theshaft 245 and the sprockets 247. The motor can be fitted with a variablespeed transmission, such as a variable frequency drive, which allows thebelt speed to be adjusted.

The shaft is received by bearings 243 (see FIG. 24) mounted to the sideplates 233. Each side plate 233 has an access panel 257 (see FIG. 27)that is slotted to fit into the side plate. The opening 256 is dividedbetween the side plate 233 and the access panel 257. Removing the accesspanel 257 allows the shaft 245 and sprockets 247 to be lifted up fromthe turnaround subassembly 231.

A center guide 251 is provided in the turnaround subassembly 231. Thecenter guide is formed in a center plate 253 (see FIG. 28). The centerplate is mounted to the cross members 05; the openings 259 receive thecross members 105. The center plate 253 has tracks 255 and is aligned sothat its tracks 255 are aligned with the tracks or lips of 159 of thecenter guide 151. Intermediate guides 165 are provided as well.

Referring to FIG. 28, the center plate 253 has a “C” shaped piece 261(when held in such an orientation) that includes the curved portion ofthe track 255. The piece 261 can be disassembled from the remainder ofthe plate 253 as shown. The shaft 245 extends through the piece 261.Thus, when the piece 261 is removed from the plate 253, the shaft can belifted out of the turnaround subassembly 231. The piece 261 is coupledto the plate 253 by bolts which are received by threaded holes incylindrical slugs (not shown), which slugs are located in cylindricalopenings of the plate 253.

As discussed previously, the links 25 can be driven in either direction.A drive sprocket 247 is used to drive the links. The sprocket 247 hasteeth that are aligned with the gaps 37 either between the first set ofprojections or the gaps between the second set of projections.

When a sprocket tooth enters a gap 37, it contacts a driving surface. Ifthe conveyor belt is being driven in the forward direction, the sprockettooth engages the trailing side 33 of the rib 27. This trailing side isshown in cross-section in FIG. 9. The bottom portion 79 of the trailingside 33 is radiused toward the leading side 31. The top portion 81 ofthe trailing side 33 is, in the preferred embodiment, flat. This allowsthe link to be molded more simply, as the plate can be molded integrallywith the rib and the projections. If the conveyor belt is being drivenin the reverse direction, the sprocket tooth engages the leading side ofthe link by engaging the end 45 of a projection 35A in the first set ofprojections. The end 45 has a bottom portion 83 that is radiused in asimilar, opposite manner from the bottom portion 79 of the trailing side33 of the rib 27.

The operation of the conveyor belt will now be described. The articles12A, 12B to be conveyed are located on the top of the plates 51. Thedrive mechanism engages the links to move the belt. The moving conveyorbelt conveys the articles.

The conveyor belt, when traversing a straight section 15, is likely tobe pulled. The individual links will spread out so that the spacingbetween adjacent ribs is maximized. The pintle prevents the links frombeing pulled completely apart.

The plates 51 cover the gaps 37 when the links 25 are pulled to theirmaximum extent. FIG. 11 shows this on the right side of the links 25,where the plates are pulled apart from each other. Thus, objects on topof the belt plates 51 are prevented from entering and becoming caught inthe gaps. This is especially useful when the articles being conveyedhave straps, clips, and other loose items that are susceptible ofbecoming caught.

Adjacent links can rotate with respect to each other about the pintle43. This is useful when the conveyor belt traverses inclined sections 23of the system, as well as returns at locations A and B.

In addition, the links can traverse radiused sections 21 of the system11 (see FIGS. 11 and 12). When the belt is being pulled, the trailingand leading edges of the adjacent plates are separated. This separationallows the belt to traverse a radiused section. Referring to theorientation of FIG. 11, the belt in engaged in a left hand turn. The end291 of the links on the inside of the curve are bunched together so thatthe leading and trailing edges 57L, 57T of the adjacent plates 51 are incontact, or nearly so. The ends 290 of the links on the outside of thecurve are pulled apart so that the leading and trailing edges ofadjacent plates are separated by a maximum distance. At the outside ofthe radiused section, the plates still serve to cover the gaps betweenthe projections.

Thus, the plates 51 on the links 25 cover the gaps 37 to preventcatching articles therein, while providing movement between adjacentlinks so as to allow traversing of a radiused section.

In addition, the curved ends of each link make contact with the guides15 along a tangential point. Reducing the area of contact between theends of each link and the guides reduces the amount of chatter betweenadjacent links. This is especially useful for conveyor belts operatingat high speeds.

The foregoing disclosure and the showings made in the drawings aremerely illustrative of the principles of this invention and are not tobe interpreted sense.

What is claimed is:
 1. A link for a plastic conveyor belt, the beltbeing constructed of links interconnected by pivot rods into a sequenceof hinged links for conveying articles along a path which path mayinclude a curved portion, comprising: a) a rib; b) a first set ofprojections extending from the rib in a first direction, the individualprojections of the first set being separated from each other byrespective first gaps, the projections of the first set each having anopening therethrough, the openings in the first set of projections beingaligned so as to receive a first pivot rod; c) a second set ofprojections extending from the rib in a direction that is opposite ofthe first direction, the individual projections of the second set beingseparated from each other by respective second gaps, the projections ofthe second set being staggered with respect to the projections of thefirst set so that the first gaps can receive a second set of projectionsof a second link and the second gaps can receive a first set ofprojections of a third link, the projections of the second set eachhaving a slotted opening therethrough, each of the slotted openingsextending for a portion of the length of the respective projection ofthe second set, the openings in the second set of projections beingaligned so as to receive a second pivot rod; d) the link having twoends, with the rib extending between the ends; e) a slot formed in eachend of the link, each slot being formed by a pair of walls extendingfrom an endmost projection in either the first or second sets ofprojections, the endmost projections being at respective ends of therib, the walls forming the slot being integral to the endmostprojection.
 2. The link of claim 1 wherein each of the slots has aninside surface that is structured and arranged to contact a guide rail,the inside surface being arcuate so as to be convex.
 3. The link ofclaim 2 wherein each of the walls that extend from the endmostprojection to form the slot has an outside end surface, the outside endsurfaces being arcuate so as to be convex.
 4. The link of claim 1wherein each of the walls that extend from the endmost projection toform the slot has an outside end surface, the outside end surfaces beingarcuate so as to be convex.
 5. The link of claim 1 wherein the rib, thefirst set of projections, the second set of projections and the wallsforming each slot are integral.
 6. A conveyor belt system for carryingarticles along a path, which path may include a curved path, comprising:a) first and second conveyor belts located side by side adjacent to eachother, the first and second conveyor belts being guided along respectivetracks; b) each of the first and second conveyor belts comprising aplurality of links, with each of the links comprising a rib; c) each ofthe links comprising a first set of projections extending from the ribin a first direction, the individual projections of the first set beingseparated from each other by respective first gaps, the projections ofthe first set each having an opening therethrough, the openings in thefirst set of projections being aligned so as to receive a first pivotrod; d) each of the links comprising a second set of projectionsextending from the rib in a direction that is opposite of the firstdirection, the individual projections of the second set being separatedfrom each other by respective second gaps, the projections of the secondset being staggered with respect to the projections of the first set sothat the first gaps can receive a second set of projections of a secondlink and the second gaps can receive a first set of projections of athird link, the projections of the second set each having a slottedopening therethrough, each of the slotted openings extending for aportion of the length of the respective projection of the second set,the openings in the second set of projections being aligned so as toreceive a second pivot rod; e) each of the links having two ends, withthe rib extending between the ends; f) a slot formed in each end of eachlink, each slot being formed by a pair of walls extending from anendmost projection in either the first or second sets of projections,the endmost projections being, at respective ends of the rib; g) the endslots of each link receiving the tracks, there being a center guideserving as a center track between the first and second conveyor belts,the center guide having first and second lips extending in oppositedirections from each other, the first and second lips being coupled to amounting structure by a web, the first and second lips being receivedinside the end slots of the links in the first and second conveyorbelts.
 7. The conveyor belt system of claim 6 wherein the first andsecond lips comprise metal, with plastic being interposed between thefirst and second lips and the conveyor belt links.
 8. A conveyor beltsystem for carrying articles along a path, comprising: a) a plurality ofplastic links, with each link having a rib, a first set of projectionsand a second set of projections; b) the first set of projectionsextending from the rib in a first direction, the individual projectionsof the first set being separated from each other by respective firstgaps, the projections of the first set each having an openingtherethrough, the openings in the first set of projections being alignedso as to receive a first pivot rod; c) the second set of projectionsextending from the rib in a direction that is opposite of the firstdirection, the individual projections of the second set being separatedfrom each other by respective second gaps, the projections of the secondset being staggered with respect to the projections of the first set sothat the first gaps can receive a second set of projections of a secondlink and the second gaps can receive a first set of projections of athird link, the projections of the second set each having a slottedopening therethrough, the slotted opening extending for a portion of thelength of the projection of the second set, the openings in the secondset of projections being aligned so as to receive a second pivot rod; d)the links being joined together with pivot rods such that the first setof projections are received by the second gaps and the second set ofprojections are received by the first gaps; e) each of the links havingtwo ends, with each of the ends having a slot therein, the slot beingparallel to the first and second sets of projections; f) two side framesspaced apart from each other, with each side frame having a first lipand a second lip, the first and second lips extending in an insidedirection, the first and second lips being separated from each other byone or more cross members that couple the side frames together; g) theconveyor belt having an upper portion and a lower portion, with theslots of the belt links in the upper portion of the conveyor beltreceiving the first lips and the slots of the belt links in the lowerportion of the conveyor belt receiving the second lips.
 9. The conveyorbelt of claim 1, wherein the side frames have outside surfaces, whereinthe outside surfaces are adapted to engage vertical supports.